Won 1st place Boston region, and first runner up in the national competition (2012)

Third place in the Boston regional final competition (2013)

Won 1st place Boston region, and honorable mention in the national competition (2014 and 2015)

Regional Finalist in the Boston regional Competition (2016)

Bentley's teams have advanced to the regional finals competition nine of the eleven times they have competed.

Bentley's teams have won the regional competition, advancing to the national competition four out of the last eight years.

What is in store for monetary policy in 2018?

Take EC 454 - College Fed Challenge Course!

Are you a monetary policy geek? Do you want to be one? Get course credit for participating in a monetary policy debate team! Help us build a Fed Challenge dynasty and win another national championship!

Bentley’s team competes against local schools at the Boston Federal Reserve, in November with the possibility of advancing to the National Finals competition in Washington DC in December.

The application process to be considered for the Fall 2018 team will begin soon! If you are interested in joining the 2018 team, applications will be accepted beginning mid March 2018, with final team chosen by early April. Selection process is competitive and openings are limited; selected students will be enrolled in EC 454 – College Fed Challenge and will participate in the debate competition. Team and class: approximately 10 students.

Interested in Joining the 2018 Team?

Please join us for an informational session for prospective 2018 team members describing what Fed Challenge is all about, how the class is involved, and experiences from previous team members. The informational session will be held Tuesday, March 13, 2018 from 5:45 to 7:00 pm, in room TBD. Join us for free food and prizes!!! All majors/class codes welcome and encouraged to attend!!

A description of the application process is below, with all material for applications due by March 29, 2018. Thanks for your interest!

What is the College Fed Challenge (CFC)?

The CFC is a monetary policy debate competition organized by select regional Federal Reserve districts. Each year, the Boston Fed hosts a competition among local colleges and universities where teams give a brief presentation to judges. The presentation provides a monetary policy recommendation based on current economic conditions.

Five teams get to advance to a second round, from which a winner is chosen to represent the Boston Federal Reserve District in the National Finals competition held in Washington D.C. several weeks later.

In the first year Bentley fielded a team (2007), they advanced to the regional finals round of the Boston competition. Bentley's 2008 team narrowly missed advancing to the 2nd round. Bentley’s 2009 and 2011 teams took 2nd place in the regional competition. The 2012 team took first place in the Boston region, and earned first-runner up in the national competition. The 2013 team placed third in the regional final competition. The 2014 and 2015 teams again won the regional competition, and earned a national honorable mention, while the 2016 team put in a strong showing by advancing to the regional finals round of Boston. And of course, the 2010 team bested over 100 teams and was crowned national champions!! There are many high quality schools and teams in the Boston area, so competition is strong. For more information about the competition and how it works see here and here.

How is the EC 454 Class Involved?

Preparing for the competition is a lot of work, and a lot of fun. But because of the work involved and the learning experience, a course was created to allow Bentley’s team to be more competitive, and recognize the hard work of the team members by giving students course credit. All students who will be on the CFC team will be required to enroll and participate in the course. The course can be counted as an EC elective, business elective, or unrestricted elective for applying towards degree requirements. In addition, the course is also designated as communication intensive for Fall 2018.

Who can apply?

Any undergraduate majors who are interested in the monetary policy process are welcomed and encouraged to apply! Although most applications will likely be from economics-finance and managerial economics majors, we strongly encourage all majors to apply. A diversity of backgrounds by the individuals strengthens the entire team. Prerequisites for the course and to be on the team are EC 111 and EC 112; we prefer class code 5 or higher (junior) as of Fall 2018, however exceptions may be made for outstanding underclassman candidates, and we encourage underclassmen to apply.

I’m interested in participating! How do I apply?

Interested students will be asked to submit the following:

A letter of interest stating why you want to be a part of the College Fed Challenge. The letter should include a description of the strengths you believe you can bring to the team to contribute to the competition, as well as relevant experiences that you can bring to the team. In the letter you should also provide information about GPA, major, class standing, and a list of EC courses you have taken.

An up-to-date copy of your resume.

A brief (no more than 10 slides) PowerPoint presentation on the following topic: Give a brief overview of the current factors affecting the inflation rate, and the policy implications.

Optional—Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to do one of the following:

Set up a brief in-person meeting with one or both team advisors, prior to the application deadline to briefly discuss your PowerPoint slides.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: MARCH 29, 2018

A professional presentation of the application materials is important, and will be considered along with academic qualifications, level of interest, and the candidate’s strength and diversity of experiences.

Applications should be submitted by email to dgulley@bentley.edu by the deadline indicated above. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Only 5 students are allowed to present in the CFC competition, however we may allow up to about 10 students to participate in the course and team functions, with the remainder of students as alternates.

Based on the quality of applicants and applications, selected students will be invited to join the team and enroll in the associated EC 454 course for the Fall semester. All applicants will be notified of acceptance or not before Fall registration begins, by April 3, 2018.

Special thanks to our team's corporate sponsor for providing funding for travel and research related expenses. Thanks P/E Investments for supporting academic excellence!

Bentley’s 2010 Fed Challenge team won the Boston regional district competition, and defeated teams from the Richmond, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia districts in Washington D.C. to be crowned NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!